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Dancing With the Stars Season 5 Episode

503

Recap

Let's get right to the performances on week two...

Melanie Brown and Maksim Chmerkovskiy (Quickstep) - The pair danced their quickstep to "Take On Me" (A-ha). They managed to bypass the pressure of the lead off spot, and the scores reflected it. It was a great way to start off the show. Brown is showing improvement in her ballroom form and Maksim is doing a nice job choreographing for her.

Len said the B stands for ballroom. He complimented her posture and called the dance beautiful. Bruno compared her to Lena Horne. Carrie Ann also liked the posture and suggested that she watch her shoulders. Drew said they made it look easy and asked Mel about the etiquette coach. She said they both took what they needed from it, getting one last shot in at Maksim. Score: 23.

Mark Cuban and Kym Johnson (Mambo) - The billionaire was excited about his performance last week, but added that being under the red light was horrible. He vowed to work hard this week to make the mambo as good as it can be, while Kym Johnson praised him for his work ethic. Just trying hard isn't enough to win the competition, but it's enough to get through without embarrassing yourself.

Carrie Ann said that Cuban made her laugh and praised his exuberance, but didn't think it was the proper mambo she was looking for. Len said he would win the prize for hard work and dedication. Bruno said it was like watching a bulldog chasing a squirrel. Score: 18. The crowd boos a lot.

Wayne Newton and Cheryl Burke (Quickstep) - Wayne and Cheryl Burke went over his schedule. It had him doing three concerts in three different states, all while they were learning their quickstep. That lack of time may have contributed to what was a rather lackluster quickstep, to the tune of "Viva Las Vegas." At times Newton looked unsure of what he was supposed to be doing.

Bruno thought it was like walking down the red carpet, not quick enough. He said Wayne has to work on the technique. Carrie Ann thought that Wayne brought Las Vegas to the ballroom. Len said this wasn't an improvement, a good job, but not one of his better dances. Score: 15.

Marie Osmond and Jonathan Roberts (Mambo) - This was a nicely danced mambo. As we saw with Heather Mills last season, Jonathan is as good as anybody at designing choreography for his partner,; he gave Marie just enough to do to impress without piling so much on that she was overwhelmed.

Len thought it was absolutely great and offered the advice that she should work to her strengths. Bruno called her a hot Latino mama and compared her to Rita Moreno in West Side Story. Carrie Ann called her a hot cougar and praised her for her trust in Jonathan. Score: 24.

Albert Reed and Anna Trebunskaya (Quickstep) - Taken purely on his dancing, Reeds looks like he could have a shot at contending. That's only if he gets to stick around long enough to improve, of course. This week was another example of that potential. Albert had some really nice moments as they danced to "99 Luftballoons" (Nena), but they were separated out by a few rough patches where he lost the flow of the dance. He and Anna Trebunskayalook great together and given time could put together a really great performance.

Carrie Ann said he would make his grandfather proud, and she liked his energy. Len said he thinks Albert is going to be the dark horse. He didn't like the skipping but thinks there is a lot of potential. Bruno thought he didn't have control of his energy. Score: 21.

Helio Castroneves and Julianne Hough (Mambo) - When the two of them took to the stage, it was almost like a different competition had started. They are dancing at a completely different speed, and it really makes all the difference. It would be hyperbole to say that Helio is dancing at the level of Julianne Hough, but he's close enough that it makes the two of them stand out above their competition.

Bruno called them the exhilarating hot rod and the blond bombshell and then praised Helio's technique. Carrie Ann called him the real deal, adding that he is suave and debonair. Len said Helio went into overdrive, very very well done. Score: 27.

Jennie Garth and Derek Hough (Quickstep) - Jennie and Derek Hough had a very funny training segment this week as Jenny struggled with the closeness of the quickstep. When Derek explained that she needed to think of him as a romantic leading man, a George Clooney, she just giggled at the idea. They actually put together a rather nice quickstep, to the tune of "Suddenly I See" (K.T.Tunstall), and there were some very nice bits to their performance, but you can really see that Jennie hasn't stepped fully into the role of dancer yet.

Len liked that they got right to the dance and said he thinks ballroom is going to suit her. Bruno said it was like Leo and Kate in Titanic: started alright, but they found some icebergs along the way. Carrie Ann also pointed out the mistake, and offered the advice that she has to stop thinking about the dance. Score: 21.

Cameron Mathison and Edyta Sliwinska (mambo) - We wouldn't mind if the writers over at All My Children could find some way to send Ryan off to a deserted island or something for a month or so, because we'd really like to see what he could do if he had all of his time freed up to work on his dancing. He and Edyta might be the best looking couple in the competition and Cameron showed once again this week that he does have a lot of potential.

Carrie Ann said he looks like a Greek god and that he hit some good lines, but he missed the beat. Len thought it started out wooden, but he got into it as it moved along. Bruno said Cameron looked like Superman, but sometimes he dances like Clark Kent. Score: 21.

Floyd Mayweather and Karina Smirnoff (Quickstep) - Floyd is a charismatic guy, with good rhythm and a natural ability to move, but ballroom is still so new to him that he hasn't fully grasped it yet. It shows from time to time as it keeps him from giving the performance of which he is capable.

Bruno said he took on the quickstep, and nearly won. He praised the footwork. Carrie Ann also praised his footwork and told him not to lead with his chest. Len liked the footwork but stressed that he needs to get the hold down. Score: 21.
Jane Seymour and Tony Dovolani (Mambo) - There were a couple moments where Jane completely lost the performance aspect of the dance and looked utterly confused. It was very strange to see as she's typically so composed and elegant. Fortunately, those moments were short lived and the rest of their number came off quite well.

Len said what she did was very precise, exact, and neat, but it was an English mambo, not a South American mambo. Bruno said it was like a mambo at a tea party at Wimbledon. Carrie Ann disagreed, saying that the elegance of the performance worked. Score: 21.

Sabrina Bryan and Mark Ballas (Quickstep) - After a tremendous debut in week one, Sabrina is one of the early leaders. The only real criticism the pair got last week was that there was too much hip hop in their choreography.

They picked up right where they left off last week as they broke into their quickstep. This was probably the most intricate of all of the quicksteps we saw this week, and it was also one of the best executions. Mark Ballas is winning us over with his choreography, and Sabrina with her charm and energy.

Carrie Ann said it was quite amazing and each step is filled with vibrancy that she is addicted. to. Len said she's fast, but in control. He said what they were lacking was balance and shades. Bruno said that whatever shades the dance had, they were all bloody good, adding that she looked like a professional. Score: 26.